By Sarah Gaughran
In an historic day for Galway club camogie, Tuam Stadium hosted its first fixture when Athenry and Carnmore met in the Windows and Rooflights Senior A Championship.
Carnmore really asked questions of Athenry in the opening half, but Athenry’s experience was to the fore in the second half as they pulled away, winning 0-20 to 1-7.
Athenry started well with two Sabina Rabbitte frees and points from play through Eimear Keane and Galway U16 vice-captain Kerri O’Driscoll for a 0-4 to 0-0 lead after 14 minutes.
It was 16 minutes before Alannah Fahy opened Carnmore’s account, but when 2022 soaring star Jennifer Hughes took on the Athenry defence and blasted the ball to the back of the net a minute later, the sides were level.
Hughes, with one from play and one through a free, and minor star Fahy, brought Carnmore into the lead. Noreen Coen followed up with points for Athenry in the 26th and 28th minutes, while Rabbitte added another with one from play to bring the sides level. However, a Hughes free left Carnmore one point ahead at half-time.
Athenry came out in the second half with a similar application that had seen off Davitts, scoring 12 points without reply. Four from Rabbitte, two through frees, two from Coen, and one each for Kayla Madden, Keane, O’Driscoll, Therese Donohue, Grace Cahill and Kate Screene left Athenry 11 points ahead with six minutes of normal time remaining.
Fahy produced Carnmore’s first score of the half in the 55th minute through a free, and also the last with a 60th minute effort, but in between Rabbitte added a point for a comfortable win.
Intermediate Championship
There was one game in the Duanes Hardware Intermediate Championship when Abbeyknockmoy, looking or their first victory, hosted Ahascragh Caltra, aiming for a third win in a row.
Ahascragh Caltra opened the scoring with points from Laoise Kirwan, Jane Higgins, Emma Reaney and a free from Aoibhe Glynn to leave them 0-4 to 0-0 ahead after ten minutes. Sinead Coleman ensured Abbeyknockmoy were off the mark in the 11th minute with a free, but Ahascragh Caltra hit back hard with two Caoimhe Ní Ceallaigh points and a free from Glynn to leave them six points ahead with five minutes remaining in the half. Before the break they added two more through Molly Mulryan, Reaney and a free from Glynn.
However, the game took a different turn in the second half with Abbeyknockmoy producing most of the scoring.
Anna Murphy, from the restart, opened for Abbeyknockmoy and Coleman added three frees, reducing the deficit to four after five minutes.
A Jane Higgins' free and a point from Kirwan kept Ahascragh Caltra’s in control, and although scores were hard come by for the remaining 22 minutes of the half, Coleman pointed two frees for Abbeyknockmoy in the 38th and 46th minutes to give them some hope.
However, Reaney replied with a point for Ahascragh Caltra, and although Coleman scored a point and had the final say of the game in the 55th minute with a free, it was not enough to see them over the line as Ahascragh Caltra ran out 0-13 to 0-9 winners.
